This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 652,525, filed Sept. 20, 1984, which was, in turn, a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 517,666, filed July 27, 1983, now U.S. Pat. 4,484,687.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to plastic caps which snap onto the necks of thin-walled plastic containers characterized by the fact that they are tamper-resistant. In order to withdraw the cap from the neck, it is necessary for the consumer to tear a portion of the skirt off the cap. The remainder of the cap comprises a reclosure cap which may be used repeatedly until the contents of the container are dispensed. The present invention differs, among other ways, from prior caps in that, when the skirt is torn, it is not necessarily totally removed from the reclosure cap but is connected thereto by a narrow, unscored area. Thus, the lower part of the skirt may be used as an auxiliary means for removing the reclosure cap, particularly useful for persons having arthritis and other handicaps which makes using the primary reclosure cap removal means difficult. The container neck is of a structure which is complementary to the cap, so that the combination of cap and container neck is liquid tight and tamper-resistant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cap and neck constructions of this general type are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,338,446 and, more recently, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,455. Complementary beads on the interior of the outer skirt of the cap snap into grooves on the container neck. A circumferential score-line is located in the outer skirt intermediate the beads and a second score-line extends from the circumferential score-line to the bottom edge of the skirt. A tear tab on the bottom of the skirt may be gripped and torn upward, causing the cap to tear on the second scoreline. A feature of the present invention is the fact that the second score-line is not circumferential, but a portion thereof between 10.degree. and 180.degree. is of the same thickness as the remainder of the outer skirt. The unscored area connects the reclosure cap above the otherwise circumferential scoreline to the lower portion of the skirt. By grasping the lower portion of the skirt and pulling upwardly, the reclosure cap may be removed from the neck as secondary means of removal. Primary means of removal of the cap comprise a peripheral flange extending out from the top edge of the cap. The present invention is intended for narrow neck plastic containers which are nominally of 35 mm in diameter. Plastic caps for 5-gallon bottles have heretofore had interrupted score-lines. Examples of these prior caps are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,392,860; 3,392,862; 3,840,137 and 3,979,002.
In all of the last-mentioned prior patents, the provision of a reclosure cap has been of secondary importance. Primary reasons for the interruption of score-line have been, first of all, to direct the hand of the service man removing the plastic cap prior to installation of the neck of the bottle in a water dispensing cooler away from the neck so as to prevent contamination of the neck and, secondarily, to provide a torn cap which can be placed over the neck of an empty container to protect the neck of the container against damage when bottles are racked in a truck for return to the bottle filling facility.
Small mouthed plastic containers for milk and water are not normally installed in dispensing machines. Hence, each time the patron wishes to dispense a quantity of milk or water, the reclosure cap is removed and, after dispensing, is replaced until the container is empty. As hereinafter explained, a primary means of removing the cap is a flange which projects from the upper end of the outer skirt. It is important that such a flange not be so constructed as facilitate dishonest patrons from using the flange to pry off the cap from the neck without removing the skirt. The very limitations on the size and shape of the flange which are desirable to prevent usage of the flange by dishonest patrons in overcoming the tamper-resistant features of the cap make it difficult for persons having arthritis and other infirmities to remove the reclosure cap. The present invention provides an auxiliary means particularly useful for handicapped patrons.